I read in the Oct. 18-24 issue of the Herald that All Island Taxi will offer free rides for seniors on Thursdays (“Taxi service offers seniors a free ride”). Very interesting concept to highlight their standing as the village’s only taxi service — basically a monopoly. How long has it been that Village Car Service has been trying to get licensed or get permission to operate in RVC? Way too long. Now that the competition is on the heels of what I consider a monopoly, all of a sudden, free rides for seniors on Thursdays. How come they didn’t get free rides last year, the year before or 10 years ago?

What All Island Taxi may want to concentrate on, as I’ve mentioned in a previous letter, is the following: Clean up the inside of the cars. Make sure they’re in sound mechanical condition. Hire drivers who behave as professionals, who make sure the cabs don’t smell and, when a customer gets in a car, turn the radio off. Make sure that when we call for service, we don’t wait 20 minutes or more when their pat response is 10 minutes. And finally, make sure that when customers call for rides, the receptionist isn’t curt, rude and nonresponsive to their needs.

I vote to allow Village Car Service to begin doing business in RVC right away, and I have called the mayor’s office to make my views known. And no, I have nothing to do with the business and do not know the proprietor. I just think it’s outrageous that this village is preventing competition.

It’s about time All Island Taxi reconstructs a modern, clean, heated and air-conditioned office and waiting room instead of what looks like a shack. Also, prevent the drivers from congregating outside the shack around the station, smoking and at times behaving like adolescents. It’s a business; get professional. They have the lives of the community in their vehicles.